Knock-out for box making machine



June 12, 1956 E. 1.. BlVANS 2,749,818

KNOCK-OUT FOR BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet l.5. ELBERT L. a/vA/vs,

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEK June 12, 1956 E L BIVANS 2,749,818

KNOCK-OUT FOR BOX MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 23, 1953ELBERT (B/VANS,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEK June 12, 1956 E. BIVANS KNOCK-OUT FOR BOX MAKING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 23, 1953 ELBERT L. RIVA/VS,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEK June 12, 1956 E. L. BlVANS KNOCK-OUT FOR BOX MAKING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 23, 1953 ELBE'RT 1.. Ell ANS,

mmvron.

A TTORNEK June 12, 1956 E. L. BIVANS 2,749,818

KNOCK-OUT FOR BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5ELBERT 1.. B/VANS,

IN V EN TOR.

A T ORNE K June 12, 1956 E. L. BIVANS KNOCK-OUT FOR BOX MAKING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 23, 1953 my 12; 1X1

ELBERT 1.. elm/vs,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEK this same straight line.

United States Patent 2,749,818 Patented June 12, 1956 fine 'KNOCK-OUTFOR BOX MAKING MACHINE Elbert Litton Bivans, Glendale, Califi, assignorto E. L.

Bivans, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication March 23, 1953, Serial No. 343,837

6 Claims. (Cl. 93-53) The invention relates to a box making machine andmore particularly to means for ejecting or knocking out a pasteboardbox, after the machine has transferred a folded fiat box from a magazineor supply station to an operating station where the box is erectedandthe side flaps folded and the end flap tucked in. This erecting andtricking operation is the only box making operation performed by themachine, as the box is filled and closed by hand box without relying onthe next blank box to do it.

A further object of the invention is to provide for such more positiveejection of the finished box without interfering with a straight linetravel from the supply station to the operating station, the set up boxbeing ejected along The invention provides an ejector which does notextend beyond the tucking and folding "mechanism, while providing onlyone drive for both the fork which feeds the fiat box and the ejectorwhich ejects the finished box. This is accomplished by providing asliding connection between the ejector and the fork, the

forward movement of the ejector being stopped at the operating stationin advance of the folding and tucking mechanism, While the forkoverrides the ejector, the fork moving forward to feed the next fiat boxtothe operating station of the fork, a spring means extends the ejectorin front of the fork so that a finished box will. be ejected before thenext flat box or carton is fed to the folding station.

According to the invention, a separate ejector is provided, this ejectorbeing reciprocated along the bed by the same drive which drives thefork, a spring being employed to urge the ejector above the level of thebedin position to contact the finished box and eject it. The fork isemployed to retract the ejector below the level of the bed on arrival ofthe fork at the operating station with the next blank. The fork thusretracts the ejector after the ejector has been retracted by thenextfiat box and providing that the carton is short in length, with theejector in a corresponding advanced position, asillustrated in thedrawings.

For further details of the invention reference mayv be made to thedrawings Wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a box making machine having aknock-out according to the present invention, with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view across the feed device and bed ofthe machine, with parts broken away.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3.

. folding devices.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 9, with the end flaptuckers in another position.

Fig. 11 is a view like Fig. 10 showing the end tuckers in final tuckingposition.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view on line 12-12 of Fig. 1.

The same form of end flap tucker is shown in Figs. 9 to 12.

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are vertical sectional views like Fig. 12 of amodification for tucking the end flap under the front of a shallow boxor under the concave front of a box.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a box having a concave front and forwhich the tuckers of Figs. 13, 14 and 15 have been provided.

Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the end tucker of Figs. 13 to15.

Figs. 18 and 19 are sectional views of a further modification foroperating on a shallow box, these figures showing the end tuckers indifferent positions.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the box making machine comprises arectangular casing I mounted on rollers 2. The casing 1 has a top 3having a magazine 4 for a stack 17 of collapsed boxes like 5, also afolding station 6 where the collapsed box is expanded to open positionand the side flaps 7 and 8, see Fig. 1, and the bottom end flap 9 aretucked in. The box thu opened and tucked ready for ejection is shown inFig. 11 although the end tuckers would first be moved away from the endof the box.

The box blanks 5 are fed one at a time from the bottom of the stack. 17by means of a fork 18 which rides in an opening 20 in the bed 21adjusted to fit a given box. The fork 18 has a bracket carried by arunner bar 22, see Fig. 2, bracket 150 being driven through a suitablecrank and lever system 23 by a motor 24. The speed of motor 24 can bechanged by a controller 25. The drive for the fork 18 is disclosed andclaimed in application S. N. 140,073 filed January 23, 1950, for BoxMaking Machine, now U. S. Patent No. 2,682,209, issued June 29, 1954.

The motor 24 through suitable belts or pulleys as indicated in Fig. 2drives a pulley 26, see Fig. 2 also Fig. 5,

on a countershaft 27 which carries all of the various cams for operatingthe tucking devices. The shaft 27 is mounted'in suitable bearings like28, 29 carried by the framework 30 of the casing 1. Cam 31, see Figs. 3.and 5, operates the side tuckers 32, 33 in and out, these tuckers beingoperated by a bell crank 34 having a link "35 connected to a lever 38having a cam follower 36.

The cam follower 36 is urged on the cam 31 by a spring 37. The spring 37urges the tuckers 32 and 33 out, driving dwell 39 but is not suflicientto retract these tuckers if boxes are jammed at the folding station 6.To overcome this, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the cam 31 is provided withan overhang 40 to provide a groove 41 in which the cam follower 36rides, to positively operate the side tuckers 32 and 33 and permit theejection of a faultybox so that subsequent operations will be normalwithout stopping the machine.

As shown in Fig. 3 the side tucker 32 is carried by a slide 42connectedthrou'gh a link 43 with one side of hell crank 34. The otherside tucker 33 not only moves in and out but also up and down, asdescribed and claimed in application S. N. 140,073, filed January 23,1950, for Box Making Machine, now Patent No. 2,682,209. The side flaptucker 33 as shown in Figs. 3,

. 6 and 8, is carried by an oscillating arm 50 having a hinge connection53 with a slide 55 on rod 56. Slide 55 has a cam follower 51 so that itis raised and lowered by cam 52. Spring 57 urges follower 51 onto cam52. The side tucker 33 is moved in and out by a link connection 54 withthe bell crank 34.

The up and down movement of side tucker 33, by means of cam 52, alsoserves to swing the side plate 60 between horizontal and verticalpositions. Plate 60 is connected to slide 55 by a link 62, see Fig. 6.When the cam 52 raises follower 51 as shown in Fig. 6, this raises notonly the side tucker 33, but also swings up the plate 60 to uprightposition as shown also in Fig. 8. The opposite plate 63 is fixed inupright position and does not :move. The plates 60 and 63 haveadjustable shelves like 64 for boxes of different depths.

When plate 60 swings up to open the box as shown in Fig. 8, the box isthus gripped or held between the plates 60 and 63 and their shelves like64, while the various tuckers are operating. The primary and secondarytuckers disclosed herein are disclosed and claimed in application S. N.209,343, filed February 5, 1951, for Box Making Machine, now U. S.Patent No. 2,682,210, issued June 29, 1954.

As shown in Fig. 8, the side tucker 33 is fixed to the top of arm 50which also carries a stud 65 serving as a hinge support for a bracket 66which carries an adjustable presser 67 which offers a resilient abutmentagainst which the end flap 9 is folded by the end tuckers 70. Thepresser 67 is urged towards the end tucker 70 by a spring 68. The otherside tucker 32 has a similar presser 69.

As shown in Figs. 9 to 12, the end tucker 70 is in two parts, of whichthe part 71 may be designated a primary tucker and the part 72 asecondary tucker. The tucker 71 has a bracket 73 which adjustablycarries a curved plate 74 which acts as a guide for the end flap. Plate74 extends beyond the outer end 75 of the tucker 72 so that guide 74 canmove relatively to the tucker 72 to fold the end of flap 9 at its outerfold line 76 as shown in Fig. 10. The hinge axis 77 of both the tuckers71 and 72 is adjacent and parallel to the inner fold line 78 of the box.The tucker 71 in moving to fold the outer end of the flap as shown inFig. 1 brings the guide 74 to a position where its outer end 79 is justunderneath the top 3 of the box to provide a path leading into the openend of the box, whereby subsequent movement of tucker 72 completes thetucking operation while the guide 74 guides the folded outer end of thefiap into the box.

As shown in Fig. 12, in their lowermost positions, the end 79 of tucker71 and the tucker 72 are horizontal in line with the bed 21 so as to notobstruct the ejection of the finished box.

The bracket 73, as shown in Figs. 9, l and 11 rests on an adjustablestop 80 which is adjusted to bring the end of guide 79 to the horizontalposition shown in Fig. 12.

The tucker 71 is operated by a cam 81 having a cam follower 82, on alever 83 connected to a link 84 adjustably connected to bracket 73 asshown at 85 in Fig. 12. The follower 82 is shown above cam 81 in Fig. 9because the stop $8 is supporting the bracket 73. The tucker 72 has abracket 86 connected to a link. 87 operated by lever 88 having a camroller 89 for cam 90. The cams 81 and 90 are fixed to the shaft 27. Asshaft 27 rotates, cam 81 picks up its roller 82 and its elevatedposition is shown in dotted lines at 91 where it is resting on the dwell92 with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 10. In rising, bracket73 picks up tucker 72 and elevates it to the position shown in Fig.although this elevating could be done by cam 90. As follower 91 reachesthe dwell 92, the rise 93 on cam 90 operates the tucker 72 to verticalposition shown in Fig. 11 to complete the tucking.

In the form of end tucker shown in Figs. 9 to 11, the guide 74 isconcentric with the hinge axis 77, but in some cases, when the box isunfolded to open position, the box front is concave as shown at 100 inFig. 16. In this case,

the concentric guide 74 would not lead the end of the flap into the box.To overcome this, the guide 101 on the primary tucker is made eccentricwith the hinge axis 102 of the tuckers, that is the distance from axis102 to the inner end 103 of guide 101 is greater than the distance fromaxis 102 to the outer end 104 of the guide and the latter distance isless than the radius of the secondary tucker 105. The guide 101 has ahinge support on bracket 106.

For example, guide 101 has a plate 107 having an aperture 108 throughwhich extends a stud 109 having a compression spring 110. Plate 107 hasapertures 111, 112, see Fig. 17, which loosely fit on pins 113, 114 on aplate 115 adjustably secured on bracket 106 by a screw 116. As shown inFig. 14, the outer end 104 of guide 101, when the latter is in itselevated position, arrives at a position low enough to enter theuppermost front of the box in position to guide the folded end 117 ofthe flap into the box as shown in Fig. 15. In so doing, the secondarytucker raises the guide 101 against the action of spring 110, to elevatethe concave front 100 for entry of the flap end 117.

Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate a modified form of end tucker for a shallowbox 120 having a long end flap 121. In this case, the guide 122 of theprimary tucker is provided with a guide portion 123 which extends at anacute angle to the bracket 124. In other words, the distance from theouter end 125 of the guide 123, to the hinge axis 126 of the tuckers isless than in the form shown in Fig. 14 and small enough to fold the end121 down so that when both the primary tucker 122 and the secondarytucker 128 are later operated as above described, the flap end 121 willbe guided into the box by the guide 123.

To adjust the end tuckers for boxes of different dimensions, as will beapparent from various forms in Figs. 12 to 19, the primary tucker orguide like 74 in Fig. 12 may be removed and other sizes or typessubstituted, and the position of guide 74 on bracket 73 may be adjustedby screw 129. The same thing applies to the primary tuckers shown in theother figures. Also the secondary tucker 72 has a size about the same asthe end of the box and various sizes of tucker '72 may be used instead,tucker 72 being removably held on a base 130 by screw like 131. The sameapplies to the secondary tuckers in the other figures. For variousshallow boxes, the plate 72 may be omitted and the support 130 in Fig.12 then serves as the secondary end tucker. The secondary tucker insteadof having a plate like 72, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19, may have a strip132 fixed to the end of the base 130 by screws like 134. The advantageof this, for a shallow box, is that the base 130 has a rear portion 135which is on a level with the bed 21 while the outer portion of base 130and the strip 132 are at a lower level as indicated in 136 in Fig. 18.As the primary guide 122 swings up, the secondary tucker 128, 130 beinghorizontal, the guide 123 bends the flap 121 over the end of strip 134with the outer end of the flap 121 closer to the hinge axis 126 andhence in a better position to enter into the box, than would otherwisebe the case.

After the end flap 9 has been tucked in, the end tucker like 70 in Fig.12 is returned to open position so as to not obstruct the ejection ofthe finished box, the side flap tuckers 32 and 33 are retracted and theplate 60 is swung down to position shown in Fig. 1, ready for the nextbox blank.

The bottom blank on the stack 17 may be released one at a time by asuitable escapernent 137, see Figs. 1 and 3.

If desired, the finished box may be ejected by the next blank which isadvanced by fork 18. Preferably, however, the ejector is a separate itemfrom the fork 18. As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 9, fork 18 is connectedwith a tube 138 in which slides a rod 139 having anejector 140 pivotallymounted thereon as indicated at 141. The ejector 140 is in the form of ahollow head urged upwardly by spring 142. The forward movement ofejector 14.0 is limited by shoulder 156 on rod 139 striking a rubberbumper 143 on the frame 30 of the machine. Tube 138 has a spring 144,see Fig. 4, which urges ejector 140 forwardly. Runner bar 22 has abracket 150. Fixed to bracket 150 is a tubular sleeve or bearing 151which slides on rod 152 fixed to the framework 30 of the machine.Bracket 159 also has a U-shaped bearing 153 which slides on arectangular bearing member 1.54 fixed to the frame 30. Bracket 150 hasan upright post 155 which carries the tube 138. The flat box 5 is thusfed along the bed 21 from the magazine 4 to the folding station 6 in acertain direction and the ejector 140 ejects the finished box in thesame direction, so that the flat carton and the finished box have astraight line of travel in one direction. Also, the fork 18 overridesthe ejector 140 when the forward movement of the ejector 140 isrestrained by the bumper 143, while the fork continues to advance andbring a new box blank to the folding station 6. The forward position ofejector 14 does not reach or pass the space where the various end andside flap tuckers are arranged at the end of bed 21, whereby thesetuckers at times can intercept the path along the bed 21, withoutinterfering with the operation of the ejector 140.

When ejector 140 is at its forward position, it has ejected the finishedbox, and as fork 18 brings a new blank to the folding station 6, afterthe box blank 5 has cammed down the ejector 140, the lower front end 145of fork 13 cams the ejector 140 down by acting on the outer surface 146of the ejector as shown in Fig. 9. This cam action takes place if thebox is short with the fork 18 at a corresponding advanced position onbracket 150 as shown in the drawings. When the fork 18 makes its returnstroke, the tube 138 contacts a bumper 157 in front of spring 147 on rod139 to retract rod 139 and the ejector 140. Spring 147 has a stop 158fixed to rod 139.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departingfrom the spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A box making machine comprising a supply station for a stack of flatfolded boxes each having an end flap and side flaps, an operatingstation comprising means for erecting the box and means for tucking theend and side flaps of the erected box, a bed between said stations, areciprocating fork movable along said bed for transferring a flat boxfrom said supply station to said operating station, a reciprocatingejector movable along said bed for ejecting the open tucked box fromsaid operating station, a spring urging said ejector above said bed,said fork being engageable with said ejector after said fork has beendepressed by the oncoming box, to hold said ejector depressed below saidbed on arrival of said fork at said operating station to prevent saidfork from exerting pressure on said box.

2. A box making machine comprising a bed, a reciprocating fork movablealong said bed, said fork having a tube, a rod slidable in said tube,said rod having a front end having a pivoted ejector, a spring urgingsaid ejector above said bed, a spring in said tube acting on said tubeand said rod and urging said ejector forwardly ahead of said fork, astop limiting forward movement of said ejector during advance of saidfork, said rod having a.

rear end having an abutment engageable by said tube for retracting saidejector along said bed and a reciprocating drive for said fork.

3. A box folding machine comprising a supply station for supplying astack of fiat folded boxes each having end and side flaps, a foldingstation, a bed providing a box path from said supply station to saidfolding station, a fork for conveying a fiat box from said supplystation to said folding station endwise in a horizontal position in acertain direction, said folding station comprising means for setting upthe box in horizontal position, said folding station also comprisingseparate means for folding said side flaps and tucking said end flapinto the box, and means for thereafter ejecting the tucked box from saidfolding station endwise in the same direction, said fork having anoverriding connection with said ejecting means with spring means urgingsaid ejector ahead of said fork, means for stopping the travel of saidejecting means at said folding station in advance of said folding meansand said tucking means during advance of said fork, and means yieldablyurging said ejecting means in said path in position to engage the tuckedbox at said folding station.

4. A box folding machine according to claim 3 comprising means on saidfork engageable with said ejecting means to move said ejecting means outof said path when said ejecting means is stopped by said stopping means,after said fork has been depressed by the oncoming box, to hold saidejector depressed below said bed on arrival of said fork at saidoperating station to prevent said fork from exerting pressure on saidbox.

5. A box machine comprising a bed for boxes, a reciprocating member, afork for said bed, an ejector for said bed, said member having a drivingconnection with both said fork and said ejector, said fork having anoverriding connection with said ejector with spring means urging saidejector ahead of said fork, means for stopping travel of said ejectorduring forward movement of said fork, and means yieldably urging saidejector above said bed.

6. A box folding machine comprising a supply station for supplying astack of boxes each having a flap, a folding station, a bed providing abox path from said supply station to said folding station, a fork forconveying a box from said supply station to said folding station in acertain direction, said folding station comprising means for foldingsaid side flap, and means for thereafter ejecting the box from saidfolding station in the same direction, said fork having an overridingconnection with said ejecting means with spring means urging saidejector ahead of said fork, means for stopping the travel of saidejecting means at said folding station in advance of said folding meansduring advance of said fork, and means yieldably urging said ejectingmeans in said path in position to engage, at said folding station, thebox acted on by said folding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,494,977 Rose May 20, 1924 2,541,914 Conser Feb. 13, 1951 2,612,016Anderson Sept. 30, 1952

